Jordan
is a land steeped in history. It has been home to some of mankind's earliest
settlements and villages, and relics of many of the world's great civilizations can
still be seen today.
As the crossroads of the Middle East, the lands of Jordan and
Palestine have served as a strategic nexus connecting Asia, Africa and Europe. Thus, since
the dawn of civilization, Jordan's geography has given it an important role to play
as a conduit for trade and communications, connecting east and west, north and south.
Jordan continues to play this role today.
Because of its centralized location, the land of Jordan is a geographic
prize which changed hands many times throughout antiquity. Parts of Jordan were included
in the dominions of ancient Iraq, including the Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, Assyrian
and Mesopotamian Empires.
From the west, Pharaonic Egypt extended its power and culture
into Jordan, while the nomadic Nabateans built their empire in Jordan after migrating from
the south of the Arabian peninsula. Finally, Jordan was incorporated into the classical
civilizations of Greece, Rome and Persia, the relics of which are scattered across the
Jordanian landscape. Since the mid-seventh century CE, the land of Jordan has remained
almost continuously in the hands of various Arab and Islamic dynasties.
The second geographical factor which has
helped shape the history of Jordan concerns climate. Only the northern highlands and the
Jordan Valley have received enough rainfall to support large populations. Therefore, this
area has always been more settled by farmers, villagers and townspeople.
Most of the urban
civilizations of Jordan have been based in these fertile lands. To the south and east,
meanwhile, there is very little rainfall and no rivers for irrigation.
These desert areas,
which comprise the majority of Jordan, have rarely supported large settled populations. In
some periods, there appears to have been no settled population at all. The lifestyle of
the Bedouin inhabitants of these desert lands has remained similar in some respects to
that of their Edomite or Nabatean predecessors.
The contrast between the pastoral
"desert" and agriculturally fertile lands is particularly pronounced in Jordan,
and much of the area's history can be linked to population shifts between large urban
centers and more dispersed, nomadic tribal groups.
